Xiao Bojian's body stiffened slightly before softening. He suddenly snorted devilishly, turned around, and pressed the mature and voluptuous body of the woman behind him down. It was another round of hearty lovemaking. Two hours later, Xiao Bojian had already put on his new clothes and was standing by the patio of the small courtyard. The woman had already left through the back door of the small courtyard. Only Xiao Bojian and Wei Jia were left in the courtyard. Wei Jia stood behind Xiao Bojian. His gaze fell on Xiao Bojian's slightly thinner back. He opened his mouth but stopped himself. He wanted to say that Xiao Bojian's actions weren't worth it. Their current power couldn't be compared to before. If they wanted to achieve their goals, they didn't have to rely on women. He could tell that his master didn't like that madam. In fact, he felt disgusted and disgusted with her. Xiao Bojian stared at the sky above the small courtyard. After a while, he suddenly turned around and glanced at Wei Jia. Then, a mocking smile blossomed on his lips. "I know what you want to say, but you have to know that this method is the one with the least losses out of all the methods. He Changdi's forces have already been raised. We don't have enough people to fight against them. " Xiao Bojian was this kind of person. He was ambitious and ruthless. In order to achieve his goals, he would even betray himself. In the face of power and revenge, he didn't even have a sense of self. Xiao Bojian's peach blossom eyes narrowed. Before winning the war against the Tuhun people in the north, he never thought that the person who could fight against him would be Count Jing 'an's He Changdi! It turned out that he had underestimated this man all along. On the twentieth day of the third month, Count Jing 'an brought his personal guards and family warriors and personally escorted He Ying and her mother to a manor in the suburbs of Shengjing. He also sent his family warriors to guard the manor. Matriarch He quarreled with Count Jing 'an because of this. However, Count Jing' an had already made up his mind. No matter what the matriarch said, it was useless. The matriarch was so angry that she couldn't get out of bed because of this. Even so, Count Jing 'an could only instruct the servants in Qingwen Hall to take good care of the matriarch. Due to He Changdi and Uncle Jing 'an's subsidies, Count Jing' an's estate's expenses had also become more organized. There weren't many masters in the estate, so managing the household wasn't as tiring as managing other aristocratic families. Countess Jing 'an was able to handle everything with the help of her trusted servant maids. He Changdi had already discussed with his father, Uncle Jing 'an, to purchase another residence. Both Uncle Jing' an and He Changdi submitted a memorial to Emperor Chengping. Although Countess Jing 'an agreed, she requested that He Sanlang's new residence not be too far from his current residence. During these two days of free time, Chu Lian and He Changdi went to look at the few mansions that they were preparing to buy. Basically, they had confirmed the one that was next to Pingkang Square. Now, they were just waiting for the Emperor's approval. Once the Emperor's approval was given, the young couple could move in. In a side room of Qingxing Hall, after Mu Xiang got the news that the Third Branch was going to move to another secluded residence, her eyes widened in disbelief. Then, she flipped over the small table on the long couch beside her. Tea and fruit trays were scattered all over the bed and the floor. The room was in a mess. The young maid guarding outside jumped in fright and hurriedly ran in. "Sister Mu Xiang, what happened to you?" The young maid had just reached the door when she was shocked by Mu Xiang's frightening expression. Mu Xiang's expression was twisted and sinister. She shouted at the young maid, "Get out! Get out! " The young maid was quite frightened. When she came back to her senses, she ran out with a face full of terror. She even forgot to close the door of the side room. In the courtyard, Senior Nurse Liu was leading a few young maids to flip through silk and satins. When she saw a young maid running out of the room in a panic, she immediately stopped her in displeasure. "What are you doing?! Why are you so restless so early in the morning? " The young maid hurriedly stopped in her tracks and bowed to Senior Nurse Liu apprehensively. Senior Nurse Liu sized up the thirteen or fourteen-year-old young maid in front of her. If she remembered correctly, this maid was by Mu Xiang's side and worked for her. Mu Xiang would often send this young maid to run errands. Why was she suddenly so frightened? And she even ran out of Mu Xiang's room. The young maid couldn't hold back her emotions and choked with sobs. "Senior Nurse, Elder Sister Mu Xiang seems to have met with some trouble. Go in and take a look." Senior Nurse Liu was stunned and pulled a long face. "Alright, I thought it was something serious. You can leave and wash your face. I'll go take a look. If you're so reckless again, you'll be flogged!" "Yes." The young maid held back her tears and left carefully. Senior Nurse Liu personally went to Mu Xiang's room. The room door was open. After turning around the screen, Senior Nurse Liu saw the mess in the room. Before she could speak, she suddenly heard Mu Xiang's cold warning voice. "Didn't you hear me asking you to get out? Get out! " Senior Nurse Liu frowned and said sternly, "What's the matter! Can't I come to take a look! " Perhaps she didn't expect that the person who came in would be Senior Nurse Liu. Mu Xiang's expression was very interesting. She panicked for a moment but quickly calmed down. Mu Xiang adjusted the expression on her face before turning around and walking towards Senior Nurse Liu, looking as if she had done something wrong. "Senior Nurse, why is it you? I didn't know it was you. I thought it was that careless little maid!" Senior Nurse Liu allowed her to support her to sit on the chair. Her gaze swept across the messy floor and long couch. "What happened? Why is the room suddenly so messy? " Mu Xiang's lips twitched in embarrassment. "Senior Nurse, it's all my fault. I was sitting on the long couch thinking about something and accidentally knocked over the teacup and fruit platter on the small table. The young maid guarding outside thought that something had happened and came in to take a look. I was in a bad mood so I said a few words to that maid. The little maid must have just arrived at the residence and is shy, so she ran out. " Senior Nurse Liu thought that what she said was reasonable and did not ask further. She looked at Mu Xiang. "What's wrong with you recently? Why are you always so absent-minded? How can I trust you to handle Matriarch's matters? " Although Mu Xiang despised Senior Nurse Liu in her heart, she did not show any of it on her face. She intimately held Senior Nurse Liu's arm and smiled. "Senior Nurse, I admit my mistake. It's my fault these days. In the future, I will definitely serve Matriarch more diligently." Senior Nurse Liu sighed and patted the back of Mu Xiang's hand. "You're not young anymore. You've served Matriarch for seven or eight years. Matriarch was still talking about you by my side two days ago! Don't worry, you're like half a granddaughter in Matriarch's heart. As long as she's here, she definitely won't mistreat you. " Mu Xiang smiled shyly and nodded. She personally sent Senior Nurse Liu out of the room. Once Senior Nurse Liu's figure disappeared from sight, Mu Xiang's face became gloomy and sinister again. She originally served Matriarch in Qingwen Hall and rarely had the chance to see He Sanlang. If He Changdi and his wife moved out, she would have even less chance. What should she do! Senior Nurse Liu, who had already left Mu Xiang's residence, suddenly stopped beside a begonia tree. She turned slightly and asked the people beside her in a low voice, "What do you think of Mu Xiang these days?" The two servant girls beside Senior Nurse Liu looked at each other and answered truthfully, "Replying Senior Nurse, Elder Sister Mu Xiang's temper doesn't seem to be as good as before." They were being tactful with their words. Mu Xiang had served Matriarch for many years. She always had a good temper and was attentive and serious in her work. Matriarch really liked this girl. In the past, she helped Liu momo manage the servants in Qingwen Hall and there had never been a single mistake. Furthermore, because Mu Xiang was a good person and never threw a tantrum, the new servant girls all liked to follow behind her to do things. But in these two months, Mu Xiang's temper suddenly became irritable. The servant girls that followed her were scolded to tears several times. This was something that would never happen in the past. Senior Nurse Liu nodded thoughtfully. After a moment, she said, "In the future, pay more attention to Mu Xiang and see what's wrong with her." The servant girls acknowledged in unison. 23rd of the third month, Emperor Cheng Ping's birthday. Today, because of Emperor Chengping's birthday celebration, morning court sessions were suspended for the day. All officials of fourth rank and above or nobles with noble titles had to attend the banquet in the palace. The empress would entertain the female guests separately. Because Matriarch He's health wasn't good, she didn't plan on attending the banquet in the palace today. Aside from the Matriarch, all the masters in Count Jing 'an's estate came out in full force. When it was time, Count Jing 'an helped Countess Jing' an up the horse carriage with Eldest Lang He Changqi, He Changdi, and Chu Lian. He Erlang, who had been transferred to the imperial court, had to stay in the palace to be in charge of security, so he didn't return to the estate. Because today was special, everyone rode in the horse carriage. When they arrived at the Vermilion Bird Gate, everyone had to get off the carriage and walk into the palace. After passing the Taixuan Gate, the male and female guests would be separated. The banquet for the officials and nobles was arranged in the People's Hall, while the banquet for the noblewomen and other female guests was arranged in the imperial garden of the rear palace. There were three horse carriages from Count Jing 'an's estate to the palace. In the first carriage sat Count Jing 'an and his wife. In the middle carriage sat Eldest Lang He Changqi. He Changdi and Chu Lian sat in the last carriage. Chu Lian and He Changdi were dressed up. He Changdi wore a sapphire blue robe decorated with silver threads, a crown, and a cloak of the same color. In the carriage, He Changdi's eyes were slightly closed. The sky outside had already started to darken, and only a weak ray of light shone in. Chu Lian used the light to slightly raise her head to look at He Changdi's profile. As she looked at him, she started to laugh. He Sanlang seemed to have heard her suppressed laughter. He opened his eyes slightly and glanced at her. Chu Lian wore a tea brocade silver-red dress. Her upper body was a tight-fitting scholarly dress that reached her waist, and she had a light purple half-length cape with silver edges draped over her shoulders. The length of the cape was just below her waist, and it accentuated the wide and complicated skirt. The matching silver-red cape hung at the crook of her arm, and on her wrist were two mysterious bracelets made of red coral. On that pair of slender jade wrists, extremely bright red, extremely snow-white, extremely eye-catching. Because her dress was extravagant, Chu Lian only allowed Xiyan to comb her hair into the simplest bun. She only wore a white jade hairpin with a ruby on it, and a ruby necklace on her forehead. The ruby made her complexion seem even more fair and beautiful. Today, Chu Lian's fringe was completely combed back, revealing her full forehead from shopping. Her slightly round face was highlighted, and her clear almond-shaped eyes were even more spirited. He Changdi opened his eyes slightly and saw such a radiant wife. Chu Lian was looking at him with a smile on her face. He Changdi instantly had the urge to hide this specially dressed woman in front of him. He didn't want her to see anyone else other than him. He Changdi placed his hand on his knee and rubbed the jade thumb ring on his thumb. Chu Lian also wore a smaller size ring on her left hand. Chu Lian noticed that He Changdi's gaze had swept over, and her smile became even wider. He Sanlang raised his eyebrows slightly, and his deep and magnetic voice sounded out, teasing people's hearts. "What are you smiling about?" Chu Lian tilted her head. He Sanlang's temperament was cold, but because he had spent some time in the Northern Army, he had a trace of a strong and iron-blooded soldier's aura. His face was incomparably handsome, and he had a high nose bridge. His deep eyes were the most attractive, and they were like a stormy, cold lake. If one wasn't careful, they would be sucked in and unable to extricate themselves. Chu Lian mimicked him and raised her eyebrows. "He Changdi, I usually don't pay attention to you, but I didn't expect you to be so good-looking." He Changdi's facial features were exquisite, and his skin was slightly fair. His facial features were like the work of the gods. He really was the president. From head to toe, he had inherited everything that was good about Uncle Jing 'an and Countess Jing' an. She didn't think much of it when she was reading novels, but now that he was in front of her in person, and he was even her husband, she felt even more emotional. No matter how thick He Changdi's skin was, he couldn't take such a direct compliment from his little wife. Although his face didn't show it, the tips of his ears were slightly red. The two of them spent a lot of time together, so Chu Lian already knew about this small change in him. She secretly smiled in her heart. Actually, He Changdi could be very pure sometimes. He Changdi didn't say anything. He pursed his thin lips slightly. From the looks of it, his face seemed to have become even colder. People who didn't know him well would think that he was angry, but that wasn't the case. He was just a little shy … Chu Lian suddenly wanted to play with him. She wanted to tease him even more. The two of them were sitting across from each other, and there was only half an arm's length between them. He Sanlang could touch Chu Lian if he stretched out his long legs. She leaned forward slightly and blinked her almond-shaped eyes. "He Changdi, your ears are red!" After she said that, she immediately shrunk back like a child who had received candy. She covered her mouth and giggled at He Changdi. He Changdi's forehead twitched. While Chu Lian wasn't paying attention, he reached out with his long arm and pulled Chu Lian over to sit next to him. Chu Lian was in the midst of her happiness, so she was startled by his sudden domineering action. Then, before she could even breathe, her little mouth was sealed. Her mouth was sealed by two ice-cold lips. Then, it was a domineering plunder. Chu Lian's eyes widened. Her hands subconsciously pushed away the strong man who was covering her. Unfortunately, she was too weak, so it was useless. When He Changdi had his fill of the sweet taste in her mouth and let her go, Chu Lian's entire face was as red as an apple. She lay on He Changdi's chest, panting heavily. She stared at him with a pair of watery eyes. He Changdi bent down slightly and whispered into her ear, "You look very good now too." Chu Lian's eyes widened in embarrassment. How could he say that! She had just sincerely complimented him on how good he looked, but now that they had kissed, he only complimented her. Did he mean that she looked good when she was in love? She just wanted to tease him, but she didn't expect to be teased instead. Chu Lian struggled in his arms. He Changdi hugged her tightly. His face darkened, and he said in a low voice, "Don't move!" Chu Lian saw that his face had really darkened, and she felt a little depressed. Just as she was about to retort, she felt something hard under his robe, and her whole body froze. This time, she couldn't be more obedient. Chu Lian was a little speechless. She had only struggled a little, and He Sanlang had already reacted … Was this really okay? He Changdi tightened his arms and let her lean against his chest. He restrained his emotions and calmed the restlessness in his body. He looked down at the little woman in his arms. He really wanted to do her now, but unfortunately, it wasn't the right time. After a while, He Changdi suddenly whispered something in her ear. Chu Lian's eyes widened in an instant, and then she looked at him in disbelief. He Changdi's expression didn't change at all. He looked serious as if he was talking about some academic problem. "What's wrong? Nanny Zhong said that it's easier to get pregnant that way." Chu Lian really wanted to roll her eyes. Wanting to have a child early had nothing to do with the position they used in as husband and wife. She had just finished her menstrual cycle, so it was very unlikely that she could get pregnant … "No." When Chu Lian said this, her cheeks became even redder. He Sanlang didn't know what he was thinking at this time, but he didn't let it go. "How do you know if you don't try?" The young couple was in the midst of discussing the restricted topic in the carriage when Lai Yue, who was riding a horse on both sides of the carriage, suddenly reminded them from outside, "Third Young Master, Third Madam is about to arrive." Sure enough, the carriage slowed down and finally stopped. Lai Yue's voice sounded again, "Third Young Master, Third Madam, we can only get off the carriage here. The carriage ahead is blocked by all the other families." He Changdi smoothed the hair on Chu Lian's temples, then lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. Sure enough, there were carriages from various mansions outside. At this time, they were all crowded in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate. When he lifted the curtain of the carriage, he even saw the heir of High Duke Zheng sitting in the carriage next to him. Heir Zheng also saw the couple, and he took the initiative to greet them, "Marquis of Anyuan, Lord of Jinyi, how have you been?" He Changdi nodded at Heir Zheng, looking cold and unapproachable. Chu Lian smiled at Heir Zheng and greeted him. Heir Zheng seemed to have something to say, but just as he opened his mouth, He Changdi pulled down the curtain of the carriage. Chu Lian: … Heir Zheng: … Chu Lian looked at her crazy husband beside her speechlessly. She said softly, "What are you doing? Heir Zheng clearly had something to say just now. Can't you wait for him to finish before you put down the curtain?" He Changdi's face was cold as he turned to look at Chu Lian and asked, "What rank are you now?" Chu Lian was speechless. This guy's thoughts jumped too quickly. He hadn't even answered what she said just now, and now he was asking her a question? "Second-rank Marquis," Chu Lian answered subconsciously. Although she was still Lord of Jinyi, and her title was bestowed by Emperor Ping, she was only a fifth-rank Marquis, which was several ranks lower than a second-rank Marquis's wife. At banquets in the palace or in daily interactions, people would subconsciously consider her the highest rank. So this time, when Chu Lian entered the palace to attend the banquet, she also used the identity of Marquis of Anyuan, not Lord of Jinyi. He Changdi's tone became more and more unhappy, "What did he call you just now? Lord of Jinyi? " Chu Lian: … This time, she finally understood why He Changdi, this crazy person, was so willing to give others face. It turned out that he was dissatisfied with a title … Heir Zheng couldn't have done it on purpose, right? Perhaps he was used to calling her Lord of Jinyi. Chu Lian glared at him. At this time, the carriage could no longer move. They could only get off. He Changdi jumped off the carriage first, then helped Chu Lian down the wooden stool. Under the wide sleeves of his robe, He Sanlang held Chu Lian's small hand as they walked towards Count Jing 'an and his wife's carriage. The two of them, one tall and one slender, looked indescribably harmonious. What He Changdi and Chu Lian didn't know was that not far away, Xiao Bojian was looking in their direction with his hands behind his back. His eyes were dark, and he looked at He Changdi with jealousy and hatred. When Chu Lian got off the carriage, her soft lips were slightly swollen. This small detail made Xiao Bojian almost crush the bones in his hand when he saw it. He took a deep breath, turned his head away, and walked in the direction of the Vermilion Bird Gate. Wei Jia glanced in Chu Lian's direction, then hurriedly followed his master. At the Vermilion Bird Gate, Chu Lian and the others ran into Old Madam Zheng and Madam Yang. The three families walked together to the Taixuan Gate, and the male and female guests separated. Chu Lian supported Countess Jing 'an and followed the female officials to the imperial garden of the imperial harem with Old Madam Zheng and Madam Yang. This wasn't the first time Chu Lian had come to the imperial garden, but this time, the imperial garden was not the same as before. Most of the female guests were brought to the hall next to the imperial garden by the palace maids to rest. Chu Lian looked for Princess Wei and Princess Duanjia as soon as she arrived. As expected, she found Princess Wei and Princess Duanjia surrounded by the crowd. Chu Lian supported her mother-in-law, Countess Jing 'an, and went to greet Princess Wei. Not long after, the Emperor's birthday banquet began. Although Chu Lian was a second-rank marchioness, her seat was not close to the front. Her mother-in-law, Countess Jing 'an, sat beside her, and they sat in the middle of the banquet. Princess Wei and Princess Duanjia's seats were close to the palace's ranking ladies, so they were very close to the front. Because of their conspicuous seats, Chu Lian could see Princess Wei and Princess Duanjia as soon as she raised her head. Princess Duanjia's seat was even arranged to be next to the Empress Dowager. Halfway through the banquet, Chu Lian raised her head and saw a palace maid whispering something into Princess Duanjia's ear. In the next second, Princess Duanjia's expression changed drastically. She then got up and secretly left the banquet. Furthermore, Princess Ruanjia had not brought a single trusted servant girl with her when she left. Chu Lian frowned, feeling that something was amiss. Princess Wei sat on the other side. If she didn't deliberately look, she wouldn't know what was happening on Princess Ruanjia's side. Chu Lian paused for a moment, then leaned over to speak to her mother-in-law, Countess Jing 'an. She immediately stood up and brought Wenqing and Wenlan with her as they quickly walked in the direction that Princess Duanjia had left. After they retreated to the banquet venue, Chu Lian ordered Wenlan solemnly, "Go and inform the Princess that the princess has left alone." Then, she looked at Wenqing, "Wenqing, follow me. We must be vigilant at all times." With that, the three of them split into two and disappeared into the darkness of the Imperial Garden. End of Chapter -- >